Daily Inspiration: Meet Jeni Charleston

Today we’d like to introduce you to Jeni Charleston.

Hi Jeni, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
Three years ago in 2021 I was faced with having to medically retire overnight at the age of 30. None of this came easy especially standing in my faith in Christ and at the same time God spoke to me and said your overcommer journey this time you will share this testimony with others they need to hear your story.

I quickly looked for something to fill my time with to do something that brought me joy. And fell in love with kreating paper keepsakes made from heavy cardstock. Unlike most popup keepsakes and greeting cards each color you see on Kreative Keepsakes are another piece of paper making them very tactile and not printed color which is very common in the greeting card industry.

In May 2023 I was asked to come share my overcommer journey with a blind organization in Phoenix to there students going through an immersion class. I did and shared a simple card workshop with the students and explained how the card was kreated.
I realized quickly in that conversation that the blind at that time didn’t have access to workshops to kreate paper art. This didn’t sit well with me at all and Be Tactile was birthed. Kreating a simple and safe space for a blind individual to have access to a digital workbook, visual or audio step by step directions and all materials needed simply shipped right to their doorstep. Be Tactile will officially launch July 2024 to any blind organization and individual.

I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
The struggles have been not kreating a business in the typical sense, or getting to a point to start a business and step away because the business has brought in x-amount of income. The normal day to day of tasks and marketing “needing” to be done fluctuate based on how my health is. Overcoming multiple nervous system insufficiencies and without a medical team to be invested in helping adds its challenges. But…God, I got to a point where I knew HE had a much bigger plan for my life THROUGH the struggles. Very early on my Bible verses weaved into my healing have been Mark 5:33-34 …”but your faith has made you well…” and Ezekiel 37:7

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I kreate popup greeting keepsakes by hand, out of 110lb/300gsm paper weight. I love the intricacies of each keepsake and 3D item each of my customers come to me for.

What sets me apart is each item is very tactile in the sense of each color is another piece of paper. 95% of small business or corporations print 90% of their color. I also got tired of using an electric die cutting machine and truly wanted to pull out my hair and use carbon-metal dies and an accucut machine (the old hand cranked ones).

I am also considered a disability owned business. When you support me your are supporting someone who fully invests in their health and who sees the best in others to help.

I am greatful for being obedient and sharing my overcommer testimony and learning about the needs of the blind community and taking the time to kreate Be Tactile. Everyone should have access to kreate because of the natural therapy it provides to unplug and find joy.

We all have a different way of looking at and defining success. How do you define success?
I define success by helping other. Helping others seeing what there abilities are versus what the world tries to label as their inabilities. Kreating access to those who told they can’t or won’t to inspire them to do the same thing for one person. This is success!

Contact Info:

• Website: Kreativekeepsakecompany.com
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/kreativekeepsaketactile?igshid=MjEwN2IyYWYwYw==
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kreativekeepsaketactile?mibextid=LQQJ4d
• Youtube: https://youtube.com/@JeniTheKreative?si=sCwnGYdcoZRncwOd
• Other: kreativekeepsaketactile/

Image Credits
Headshot credit is to Vivian Kvam of Tandem Works